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Africanized Honey Bees

What are Africanized Honey Bees (AHB's)?


A Historical Background


In the early 1600"s European settlers introduced European Honey Bees (EHB) to North and South America. Those bees were found to be good honey producers in the temperate climates of North America, but did poorly in the tropical and subtropical South. To increase the honey production, the Brazilian government was looking for a more suitable species of honey bees. They found a strain of bees from South America to be good honey producers, but they were rather aggressive. In 1956, the scientists in Brazil tried to produce a hybrid that would have the gentle European characteristics and the increased honey production of the African Honey Bees.




Unfortunately the experiment didn't work they way it was supposed to and the hybrid turned out to be a good honey producer, but highly aggressive. About one year later, some bees escaped out of their hives and developed into feral or wild colonies and soon began to spread throughout South America. These feral bees were called Africanized Honey Bees (AHB), since they still showed the aggressiveness and the characteristics of the African bees. Later the media gave them the name of "Killer Bees" to describe their aggressive behavior and since multiple stinging incidences had killed several humans, domestic animals, and livestock.





 



The first AHB's arrive in the US in October 1990 and were found in Texas. From there they spread throughout the state and then moved on to New Mexico and Arizona. In October 1993 a swarm of AHB's was detected in California, west of Blythe in Riverside County. In 1999 the first swarm of AHB's was found in Palmdale, and now all bees in Southern California are considered Africanized.




Similarities and Differences between AHB's and EHB's 

Africanized Honey Bees look the same and in most ways behave like the European Honey Bee. Both produce honey and wax, pollinate flowers, protect their nest, and sting in defense. All bees are only able to sting once, since their stinger is barbed and part of the abdomen and the venom sack tears off when the bee flies away and dies. The venom of both species is the same too. Persons who are hypersensitive to bee venom can die from a single EHB sting and others survive over 200 AHB stings.

The main difference is their behavior. AHB's are more defensive of their nest and respond faster, in greater numbers. They can sense movement within 50 feet or more, vibrations and noise from power equipment within 100 feet from the nest. Be aware that the nest might not be visible, since they like to nest in small cavities and sheltered areas such as empty boxes, cans, buckets, old tires, lumber piles, holes in trees and the ground, garages, sheds, and other places.

  EHB  AHB 
Will chase intruder for... 100 ft 1/4 mile (1320 ft)
Will stay agitated for..... about 1 hour  8 or more hrs
Will produce swarms.....  1-2 times/yr  several times /yr 


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Living with Africanized Honey Bees


Do's and Don'ts

As a general rule, stay away from ALL honey bee swarms and colonies. All bees in Southern California are now considered Africanized.

To be safe when outdoors, remember to "Bee Alert", "Bee Aware" of your surroundings and "Bee Smart"  when you see bees, and follow the guidelines below:


  • Listen for humming of a bee colony or swarm when outdoors, and avoid areas with unusually high number of bees, there may be a nest nearby.
  • Look for bees flying in and out of holes (e.g. tree hole, trash, water meter boxes, etc.)
  • Check area for bee activity before you operate power tools, prune trees or bushes, have a picnic, etc.
  • Check area for bee activity before you pen or tie up any animals.
  • Do NOT provoke ANY bees that you may encounter.
  • Do NOT throw rocks or squirt water at a bee hive or a swarm.
  • Do NOT swat at bees, if they attack; rapid movements will aggravate them and cause them to sting.



If you are being chased by bees, you should:

            •  Quickly run away, covering your face and neck
            • Seek shelter in a car or a building

Residents should periodically inspect their property for potential AHB colonies and remove possible nesting sites around the house and yard. To avoid the bees establishing a colony inside a small exterior opening on the house, seal any opening larger than 1/8 inch, such as pipe entrances. It is also recommended to install screens (1/8") over tops of rain spots, vents, and openings in water meter/utility boxes.




What to do if you are stung
  • Go quickly to a safe area
  • Remove stingers quickly by scraping them with fingernail, knife blade, or credit card
  • Wash sting area with soap and water
  • Apply ice pack for a few minutes to help relieve the pain and swelling
  • Seek medical attention if breathing is troubled, if stung numerous times or if allergic to bee venom
  • In case of a multiple stinging emergency, please CALL 911!




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Colony Collapse Disorder - A Mysterious Disappearance of Bees

In the fall of 2006, some beekeepers in the U.S. reported losing 30-90% of their colonies and the symptoms associated with the dead colonies did not match those produced by know bee pests / pathogens. Since then several groups of scientists have tried to find a cause for it.

CCD symptoms often associated with collapsing (weakening) colonies may include:

In the fall of 2006, some beekeepers in the U.S. reported losing 30-90% of their colonies and the symptoms associated with the dead colonies did not match those produced by know bee pests / pathogens. Since then several groups of scientists have tried to find a cause for it.CCD symptoms often associated with collapsing (weakening) colonies may include:
  1. an insufficient number of bees to maintain the amount of brood in the colony;
  2. the workforce is composed largely of younger adult bees;
  3. the queen is present; and
  4. the cluster of bees is reluctant to consume food provided to them by the beekeeper.

In collapsed (dead) colonies, CCD may produce the following symptoms:

  1. the complete absence of adult bees in colonies with few or no dead bees in / around colonies;
  2. the presence of capped brood; and
  3. the presence of food stores that are not robbed by other bees or typical colony pests.


After 5 years of studies it seems like CCD is caused by a combination of a variety of factors, possible including mites, viruses and pesticides. Some studies have also checked the influence of cell phone signals and climate change. While global warming may not directly challenge a species of insect that can prosper from very cold climates to the equator, climate change may result in more stress on the bees. Increased periods of dry, hot weather or cold, rainy weather, could limit availability and access to those important pollens. The bees will have to rear their brood at the expense of their body nutrient reserves. It does not seem to affect feral bee populations, which would point towards something that is used in commercial beekeeping.

Further studies are ongoing.

According to a local beekeeper, the bee colonies in the Antelope Valley don't seem to have too much trouble with CCD. The beekeepers have some bee loss, but not to that extent.

For more information check out the U.S. Dept of Agriculture website at
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may08/colony0508.htm and the progress report of the CCD Steering Committee at
http://www.extension.org/mediawiki/files/c/c7/CCDReport2009.pdf

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